Posted by Marty Neilan on June 01, 2003 at 12:36:10:
In Reply to: Packing for overseas flights posted by Scott on June 01, 2003 at 08:32:18:
I was in a very similar situation recently for a 2 week trip throughout Guatemala. I decided to use the school's BBb 186 in its hard wooden case.
First, I am sure you still remember your BBb fingerings better than you think, they will come right back in a day.
I put a heavy cushion (the kind they sell at Walmart for $6.00 to put on wood dining room chairs) inside the bell, keeping pressure between the inside of the bell and hard case and keeping the horn snug. The other tuba player on the trip packed several pillows in the same spot (many of our female players insisted on bringing their own pillows and they couldn't carry them on the plane, so it worked out for everyone.) Both of our bells came out fine, after 2 plane trips and several dozen loadings / unloadings onto the back of a "chicken bus" driven by a manic driver appropriately named Lazarus over very bumpy mountain roads five hours a day.
On the return flight home, the other guy's case was dropped in the airport, crushing the wood on one end of it. Because the bell was under pressure from the pillows packed in it, it survived INTACT!